Reign Of Terror Justified Dbq

Should people be persecuted for their beliefs? The Reign of Terror lasted less than two years, from the execution of Louis XVI in January 1793 to late July 1794. During those eighteen months, more than 20,000 French people were put to death by guillotine. Guillotines were large falling blades that were used by political extremists called radicals to decapitate conservatives, who were people that wanted to keep the old ways. It is not right for people to be persecuted for their beliefs. The Reign of Terror in France was not justified. This claim can be supported by looking at three areas: external threat, the internal threat, and the methods.

The external threat was not enough to justify the Reign of Terror. One example of this is that “churches are soon closed by revolutionary government” which is wrong, because people should be able to choose what they believe in (Document A). Another example is that the “Government denies legal counsel to accused enemies of the revolution” (Document A). People should be respected even when they believe differently than the rest of the society. This shows that the reign of Terror was not justified, because people are punished for their beliefs.

Because the patriots posed as a threat, “forty of their number were killed” (Document D). This issue should have been dealt with differently; there is a way to stop uprisings like this other than killing people. Also, the government abolished “Sunday worship, Christmas, and Easter” (Document C). This is not fair for the French citizens who normally participate in these events. The people should be free to follow their own beliefs. This shows that the actions of the government are not fair to the French